Earring clip and anchor



Feb. 14, 1961 v. J. GERMAN/A 2,971,353

EARRING CLIP AND ANCHOR Filed Aug. 7, 1958 I 7 |22 lll/517 INVENTOR. VINCENT J. GERMFINH HTTURNEY' 2,971,353 Patented Feb. 14, 1961 This invention relates generally to earrings. In particular, the invention refers to a novelly designed earring clip, wherein an `arrn is disposed in overlying relation to a clip or clasp, in such a manner that these components cooperate in minimizing the possibility of loss of the earring.

In general, earrings include clasps, some of which are of the type including a threaded post, which is threadable toward a stationary, cooperating portion of the clip in such a manner as to cause the lobe of the ear to be clamped therebetween. Another type of well-known clasp includes a spring-biased clamp element, the spring means of which has a snap action by reason of a movement thereof past a dead center during movement of the clamp arm between its opposite extreme positions. In this form, the clamp member is snapped to a lobe-engaging position, so that once again the lobe is clamped between a stationary or rigid portion of the earring and a movable clamp element.

=In both of these conventional forms, the danger of loss of the earring arises since in some instances the clamping action is not sufciently strong to insure to the maximum extent that said action will persist throughout the time that the earring is worn. The result is that one often inds that she has lost an earring, a situation which the present invention aims to prevent, to the maximum extent.

In view of the above, it is proposed to provide an arm that extends into the concha of the ear, in such a way that during normal wearing of the ornament, said arm will cooperate with the conventional clasp or clip means in properly placing the earring and in retaining it in the selected position. The support arm, however, has the further important function of preventing the earring from falling completely of the ear in the event the clamping action afforded by the usual clasp or clip should accidentally be weakened or completely lost.

In accordance with the invention, the support arm causes the earring to be supported in suspended position from the concha, in cooperation with the clasp7 which, even though it may have become loose, will still be disposed against the inner face or surface of the lobe to cooperate with the support arm in keeping the earring from falling completely off the ear.

It is another important object to so form the support arm that one will be able to rather quickly detect the increased pressure of the support arm against the adjacent surface of the concha, whenever the support arm is bearing the maximum weight of the earring due to loss of the ordinary clamping action hereinbefore described. By reason of the particular form and arrangement of the support arm, the increased sensitivity which one has to said pressure will cause the person to quickly realize that the earring has become loose and that it should be either deliberately removed entirely for safekeeping or alternatively, fastened more securely in place.

Another object is to provide means of the character stated which will be comparatively inexpensively formed,

in relation to the benelits to be obtained from the use thereof.

Another object of importance is to provide a means for preventing the loss of earrings, and for aiding in the proper support and placement or" said earrings, which will be completely invisible when the earring is worn.

Another object is to provide means of the character stated which will Ibe completely comfortable when in use.

Yet another object is to provide a support arm as described which will be adjustable in a vertical direction, that is, toward and away from the associated clip or clasp, thus to accommodate the device to fit ones ear with maximum comfort, this being desirable in view of the well-known fact that ears vary widely in respect to size and their particular shape, from one person to another..

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an earring equipped with a clip and anchor assembly made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View, the scale being enlarged above that of Fig. 2, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-3 the earring 10 includes a backing plate 12 which can be of any ornamental shape desired. In the illustrated example, the backing plate 12 is in the shape of a heart, although obviously, this is merely one typical example among an infinite number of diierent ornamental shapes which the ornament portion, that is, the portion of the earring that is exteriorly exposed for display purposes, can have.

The backing plate in the illustrated example has a peripheral, outwardly directed retaining ange 14, engaging the marginal portion of a correspondingly shaped ornamental stone .16.

The ornament portion of the earring has been generally designated 18, and comprises, as will be understood, any ornamentally shaped display portion of an earring, to which portion there would be attached a clasp clip means `generally designated 102. The clasp means 102 in the illustrated example shown in Figs. l-3 is of the type including a threaded post 106 threadedly engaged in a correspondingly threaded opening 24 formed in the enlarged end portion Z6 of a U-shaped clip or clasp frame 104 adapted to embrace the lobe of the ear.

Frame 104 is integral at its inner end with a wide, flat plate 112 soldered as at 114 or otherwise fixedly secured to the backing plate. Plate 112 has transverse slits 116. Slits 116 are at opposite sides of a wide guide slot 11S, within which support arm `10i) is vertically adjustable. The material above the slits 116 is offset outwardly to provide confronting guide flanges 120. Flanges 120 are formed with confronting, transversely aligned, retaining notches 122, uniformly spaced along and communicating with slot 118 at opposite sides of the slot.

A support arm is provided for supporting the earring in the U-shaped part of the ear. The support arm is vertically adjustable relative to the clip means 102. Support arm 100 at its outer, free end has a small enlargement 124 of spherical shape.

The support arm is formed of wire material, and at Crosshead 126 has rounded ends 123 (Fig. 4) bear-k ing lightly against the backing plate l12 within a guide- Way 130 delined by the backing plate in cooperation with .fthe outwardly offset flanges 120. Crosshead 126, when arcuately curved in the full line position sho-wn in Fig. 4 by reason of the inherent spring tension thereof, has end portions 132 that engage in selected, transversely aligned notches 122.

In this way, the support arm is disposed in selected positions lto which it is vertically adjusted. Assuming, now, that one desires to readjust the support arm in a vertical direction, the user presses inwardly upon the support arm, that is, the support arm is moved in a direction toward the backing plate 12. The support arm now moves to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4. This causes the crosshead 126 to be llattened somewhat to the dotted line position shown in lFig. 4. The result is that the end portions 132 move inwardly out of engagement with the slots 122 in which they were previously disposed. With the crosshead flattened out and the support arm held in its inwardly moved position, one may now shift the support arm vertically within the guideway to locate the crosshead in alignment with a different set of transversely aligned notches. One now releases the support arm, and the crosshead, under the inherent spring tension thereof, deflects once again to the full line position shown in Fig. 4, to engage its end portions in the new set of notches.

' Again, one has the adaptability, in this invention, of adjusting the distance between the support arm and the clip, to lit the earring with maximum comfort onto the ear.

The earring can be readily applied to or removed from the ear. Further,l the support arm extends lightly into contact with the surface of the concha of the ear, to provide auxiliary means for supporting the earring from ones ear. Further, should the clamping action ordinarily provided by the clip or spring clasp of the earring be weakened or lost accidentally, the earring will remain on the ear. In fact, in these circumstances the support arm will carry the full weight. of the ear, so that the increased pressure of the support arm upon the surface of the concha of the ear will cause one to realize that the support arm is bearing all or almost all of the weight of the earring.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modiiications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An earring including an ornamental portion, clasp means thereon adapted `for engaging an ear lobe, and

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means extending laterally inwardly from the ornamental portion disposed above the clasp means and adapted for extension into the concha to provide an auxiliary support for the earring, said means being formed as a support arm, the clasp means including a frame xedly connected to the ornamental portion, said frame including a fiat, wide plate having a vertically extending guide- Way, the support arm being mounted in and being adjustable vertically along said guideway to provide vertical adjustment of the support arm, said plate being formed with outwardly offset flanges and with a vertical slot disposed between the flanges, said flanges and slot cooperating to provide said guideway, `the support arm projecting through the slot, said support arm being formed with a crosshead extending transversely of the slot in back of said flanges, the iianges vbeing formed with vertically spaced notches, .the notches of each flange being aligned transversely of the slot with corresponding notches of the other flange, said crosshead being engageable in selected, transversely aligned notches in each position to which the support arm is vertically adjusted.

2. An earring including an ornamental portion, clasp means thereon adapted for engaging an ear lobe, and means extending laterally inwardly from the ornamental portion disposed above the clasp means and adapted for extension into the concha to provide an auxiliary support for the earring, said means being formed as a support arm, the clasp means including a frame xedly connected to the ornamental portion, said frame including a flat, wide plate having a vertically extending guideway, the support arm being mounted in and being adjustable vertically along said guideway to provide vertical adjustment ment of the support arm, said plate being formed with outwardly offset flanges and with a vertical slot disposed etween the anges, said anges and slot cooperating to provide said guideway, the support arm projecting through the slot, said support arm being formed with a crosshead extending transversely of the slot in back of said anges, the flanges being formed with vertically spaced notches, the notches of each ange being aligned transversely of the slot With corresponding notches of the other llange, said crosshead being engageable in selected, transversely aligned notches in each position to which the support arm is vertically adjusted, said crosshead being in the formV of a forwardly bowed spring which in its expanded position has its respective end portions engaging in said notches, said spring being adapted to be iiexed against its inherent tension into a substantially at condition in back lof the iianges to disengage the notches and permit' the vertical adjustment of the support arm.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 393,803 Williams Dec. 4, 1888 573,685 Munro Dec. 22, 1896 2,490,908 Kohler Dec. 13, 1949 2,542,730 Thronsen Feb. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 433,886 Great Britain Aug. 22, 1935 

